Automatic blast torch



April 2l, 1936.. s. c. BRQDYA AUTOMATIC BLAST TORCH l Filed Aug. 18, 1954 will l HHHHUIIIH In veli Zof.' Samuel Cf/vafy April 2l, 1936.

s. c. BRODY 2,038,411

AUTOMATIC BLAST TORCH I Filed Aug. 18, 1954 f 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fave/6pm Zf/Zgjf f 1 14445 Samul mqfy April 21, 1936. s. c. BRODY I AUTOMATIC BLAST TORCH Filed Aug. 18, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 #Hof/wy Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 18,

11 Claims.

This invention relatesV to automatic blast torches of the type which embody ar pressure generating unit comprising a casing adapted to contain liquid fuel, and either a wick tube extending from said casing or the casing extended in a manner enabling it to effectively hold a Wick, and having a jet delivery opening, and a wick in said tube or casing having one end dis-- posed in proximity to said jet delivery opening 10,; and its other end extending intothe fuel within said casing.

Such torches are usually started by playing a starting flame on the Wick tube in the vicinity of the jet delivery opening, the heat from said 15 flame being conducted along said tube` and to the fuel Within said casing whereby to` vaporize and/or gasify the same and when properly ignited to produce a reducing flame through said jet delivery opening.

When such torch is equipped with a combustion burner, the starting flame may be extinguished once the fuel in the casing of the pressure generating unit is sufficiently vaporized to generate pressure and the torch shall then continue to be self-generating without any further generating aid from the starting flame. When such torch is not equipped with a combustion burner, the starting flame must be constantly played upon the wick tube of the pressure generating u nit to maintain such pressure generation.

In either type of torch, the goal to be attained is to keep the torch in satisfactory operation once it has been started, regardless of the position in which the entire torch unit may be held or placed while directing the reducing flame upon ythe Work, or regardless of the vagaries of the wind, sudden drafts,'or other factors calculated accidentally or unintentionally to extinguish the torch, and regardless of the degree or extent to which the pressure generating unit of the torch is inverted or in which position it may be placed.

Where the torch Without a permeable barrier is shaken up and down or is used in a tilted or inverted position,'the tendency of the raw, liquid, unvaporized or unvolatlized fuel is to rush into the burner tipor gas chamber and extinguish the torch by ooding or choking the same with raw,l liquid, or unvaporized fuel.

Such rush of raw, unvaporized or liquid fuel towards the burner tip displaces the volatilized gases which` normally ll the gas chamber or space in the region of the burner tip and which are necessary to cause the torch 'to generate pressure, mixing with said gases, and causing the torch to extinguish itself.

1934, serial No. '140,476

The established and successful method to overcome and prevent this interchange or mixing action has been accomplished by fixedly mounting a physical barrier at some point or place in the pressure chamber where it would serve and coact with the wicking in the pressure chamber in the nature of a sort of plug or stopper or similar sort of packing made of permeable materials to form a permeable barrier which subdivdes the pressure generating unitinto sort of a separate fuel and gas space or chamber, The feed wick was then threaded, attached or compressed to such a barrier, plug, or packing plug which While permeable to the gases volatilized when the torch was operating was retardant to the free leakage of the liquid fuel therethrough or therepast. By this construction, the raw, unvaporized or liquid fuel was prevented from rushing into the gas space or chamber when the torch was shaken, tilted or inverted, but the volatilized gases could pass through said plug or packing barrier and escape at the jet delivery opening 'of the torch, thereby decisively eliminating the possibility of the volatilized or vaporized gases or vapors from mixing or mingling with the raw, unvaporized or liquid fuel.

While I realize that my present inventionY is unquestionably dominated in principle by Patent No. 1,966,252 it nevertheless involves and introduces a new and novel method in the construction and arrangement of such a barrier Within the pressure generating unit.

These differences in construction and/or arrangement make possible Vof attainment certain manufacturing and operating efficiencies, economies and constitute a desirable and certain advance in the art of automatic blast torch construction.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated several of the many forms and arrangements contemplated by my invention.

In such drawingsz- Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through the pressure generating unit of an automatic blast torchequipped With one form of my invention designed to prevent the flooding, choking, or other extinguishment of the torch when shaken, tilted or inverted.

Figs. 2, 3, and 4 illustrate variants thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 shown still further modification andvariants thereof.

Figs. 7 to 10 inclusive show further modifications and variants wherein I obtain an effective permeable barrier by squeezing, indenting, or pinching in the metal of the Wick tube to com- Cil press the wicking of the generating unit at a point intermediate of both ends of said wicking. Figs. ll to 19 inclusive show arrangements whereby the wicking is so mounted and tensioned as itself to act as a permeable barrier in certain parts of its length or breadth, and

Figs 20 to 26 illustrate still further arrangements and variants for obtaining a permeable barrier at some selected point or zone within the pressure generating unit.

I haveindicated generally at I I1 the pressure generating unit of an automatic blast torch of standard construction. Such unit includes a fuel casing II, a wick tube I2, a wick I3 in said wick tube and extending into the fuel contained in said casing, and a jet delivery nozzle I4 fixed within the outer end of said wick tube. Preferably although not necessarily the jet nozzle is in the form of a jet plug having a jet opening I5. Preferably, although not necessarily a combustion burner tube I6 is affixed over the outer end of the wick tube.

In all forms of my invention, I provide a barrier located between the ends or beyond the ends of the wick I2, which barrier is physically retardant to the free leakage therethrough or therepast of the raw, unvaporized or liquid fuel contained in the casing II, but is permeable by the gases volatilized when the torch is operating, or being primed.

In Fig. 1, some part of the wick I3 is bunched or compacted tightly against some part of the wick tube wall I2, as indicated at I1, to furnish such a permeable barrier.

In Fig. 2, some part of the wick is knotted tightly against some part of the wick tube wall I2, as indicated at I8, to furnish such a permeable barrier.

In Fig. 3, some part of the wick I3 is bunched or compacted tightly against some part of the casing wall II, as indicated at I9, to furnish a permeable barrier within the casing rather than within the wick tube, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The wick, where bunched or compacted at I9, provides a permeable barrier by reason of the fact that the turns or layers of the wick are arranged within the casing II as concentric or layeraround-layer, thereby filling in compacted form the entire internal circumference of the casing for a short distance vertically.

In Fig. 4, the wick is knotted, as at 20, rather than bunched as at I9 in Fig. 3, to furnish such a permeable barrier within the casing. The permeable barrier I1, I8, I9 or 20 sub-divides the blast torch into a vapor or gas space G and a fuel supply space F.

In Figs. and 6 certain of the strands 2| of the wick, if a stranded Wick is used, are threaded through holes 22 in a barrier 23 mounted within the pressure generating unit between the ends of the wick, the holes being smaller than the wick strands so that the strands are compressed somewhat, as graphically illustrated in Fig. 5.

Such barrier 23 may be mounted within the casing I I in frictional contact with the wall thereof, or as an obvious variant which it is not considered necessary to illustrate, may b-e mounted within the wick tube I2 itself.

The material of the barrier 23 shown in Figs. 5 and 6 may be any material which is retardant to the free leakage of fuel therepast. On account of the many strands of wicking passing through the same, the barrier itself need not be gas-permeable, and hence may be made of such impermeable materialsas steel, rubber or the like, but

through said barrier 23 coacting with the several wick strands strung therethrough, these wick strands thereby becoming effective as a permeable barrier.

Figs. 7 to 9 inclusive show arrangements wherein the wick tube I2 is indented, bent, pinched in, or otherwise deformed to pinch or squeeze the Wick and thereby compress or compact the same vto form a permeable barrier, and Fig. shows a still further lvariant wherein this result is obtained within the fuel casing II rather than within the Wick tube itself, as in Figs. '1, 8, and 9.

In Fig. 1 the wick tube I2 is deformed at two points 24 which are staggered with reference to each other to compress or compact the wick therebetween as a permeable barrier 25.

In Fig. 8, the wick tube is deformed at two opposite points 26 to produce the barrier effect in the wick at 21.

In Fig. 9 the wick tube is deformed at one point 23 only to produce the barrier effect in the wick at 29.

In Fig. 10, the barrier effect in the wick is produced within the casing I Il by providing the wick tube within the casing with an extension 30. The extension 30 is supported within the casing as at 3| and is deformed as at 32 to provide the barrier effect 33.

In Figs. l1 to 19 inclusive, I show arrangements for mounting, expanding and/or tensioning the wick in such manner as to cause it to exert a barrier effect through some part of its length.

In Fig. 11 the upper end of the wick is looped over a cross pin 34, the outer end of the wick tube being formed interiorly thereof with a pair of diametrically opposite slots 35 extending longitudinally thereof from a point beginning at substantialy the outer end of the jet plug I4 and extending inwardly a substantial distance beyond the inner end of said plug.Y The ends of the pin 34 are disposed in said slots` and seat on the shoulder 36 which results from providing the wick tube with the internal slots 35 so as to prevent the Wick from slipping down beyond or from the place Where it is looped or fastened on the cross pin and also to prevent the pin itself from moving its position when the jet plug is screwed up flush to the cross pin.

Thus in the gas chamber or space between the pin 34 and the inner face of the jet plug I4, which face is preferably concaved as best shown in Fig. 13, the wick I3 is compacted or compressed as a permeable barrier 31 (see Fig. 13).

By looping the wick over said pin 34 and drawing it to the proper degree lof tautness the compacting or compressing effect in the barrier zone 31 may be varied at will.

In many cases, it is sufficient simply tol mount the upper end of the wick as thus described. When desired, however, the lower end of the wick may also be positively engaged and supported within the fuel casing II, in which the tension on the wick and thus .the degree of capillary action which the wick can exert may also be effectively regulated as Well as the degree of permeability o f the barrier. A Y

Several Vmethods of doing this V'are illustrated. In Fig. 11 the lower end of the wick is shown as frictionally engaged under the free end of a spring clasp 38, theoppositeeend of which is fixedly mounted as at 39 upon the interior surface of the casing wall.

Preferably, although not necessarily, the clasp 38 extends horizontally of the casing I l interiorly thereof.

Also, when desired, the clasp 38 may be pivoted as at V38a (Fig. 12) and the free end of the spring clasp 38 may be positively but releasably latched over the wick. In such event, there is fixedr to the interior of the casing wallY in the path of ilexing movement of the spring clasp. alocking catch 40 (see Fig. 12) with which the free end of said clasp is adapted to be engaged after the wick has been drawn to the desired tension and engaged under the spring clasp.

Alternatively, and as shown. in Fig.. 15, the lower end of the wick is extended in a tight manner through a hole in a barrier 4I, preferably of permeable material, which is adjustably supported within the casing adjacent the lower end thereof.

Various ways of adjustably supporting said barrier 4I will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. As illustrative of the many possibilities, I have shown the internal threads 42 for the usual threaded filling plug 43 at the bottom of the casing extended upwardly into the casing (see Fig. 15) for a substantial distance. Coacting with such extended thread series is a fuel-tight threaded adjustment member 44 having in its outer face a screw driver slot 45 or its equivalent and having extending from its inner face a plurality of spaced supporting elements 46 for the barrier 4 I.

Thus there is provided between the members 4I and 44 a fuel space 41 into which the lower end of the wick depends through the hole in said member 4 I. The space within the casing I I above the member 4I is of course the gas space or chamber in this particular embodiment of my invention.

By removing the filler plug 43 and rotatively adjusting the fuel-tight member 44 inwardly or outwardly along the casing I I, the tension on the wick and thus its capillary action may be regulated as desired.

In Fig. 16 I have shown the wick as mounted on a wire or other positioning element 48. The upper end of the wick is assembled upon the upper end of the member 48 in such manner as to provide adjacent the inner end of the jet plug'a compacted, compressed, or bunched wicking which acts as a permeable barrier portion 5l). The upper end of the positioning element 48 is bent outwardly to frictionally engage or wedge against the tube wall in the manner well known in the art and Vthe permeable barrier portion 5D is engaged around such bent portion. The tightness of compaction Vof the wick in the region 58 may obviously be varied as desired.

In Fig. 1'1, I have shown an arrangement for obtaining the desired permeable barrier effect by simply crowding the wick so tightly within the wick tube as to make of all or vso much of the wick as desired within said tube a permeable barrier 5I.

In Figs. 18 and 19, I show a still further variant of the method of positively mounting the upper end of the wick in the wick tube.

In these gures, the same internal thread series 52 at the outer end of the wick tube to which the jet plug I4 is threaded is utilized to mount the adjustable wick supporting member 53 detailed in Fig. 19 in position within the wick tube just below the jet plug.

This member 53 is opened up at two opposite faces, as indicated at 54 in Fig. 19 to expose an interior cross bar or pin 55 over which the upper end of the wick is adapted to be looped. At

either side of the opened up places 54' thernember 53 is formed as half-round surfaces which are kexteriorly threaded as at 56 to coact with the internal threads 52 in the adjustment of the member within the wick tube. The upper or outer end of the member 53 extends as a top connecting web 51 which is provided with a screw driven slot 58 or its equivalent to enable the member to be conveniently adjusted.

Byy this construction, the wick isv adjustably supported at its upper end within the wick tube. That part of the wick 59 (see Fig. 16) which is looped over the cross bar 55 acts as a permeable barrier within the gas chamber or space 68 which results in the member 53 from lits unique combination of opened-up and threaded walls and top connecting web 51. This cross bar `member has several new and novel points of effectiveness among which is one vital point of positively holding in an intendedly xed position the end of the wick attached or looped thereto so as to prevent the upper portion orend of the wicking from droppingdown to a point below the usual area used for priming or preheating the generating unit. If this end of the wicking` drops down too far inthe wicktube the generating tube then refuses to function ,so that it is not possible to satisfactorily operate the torch. My invention positively overcomes this condition for all time.

In Fig. 20 the upper end of the wick is knotted, bunched orotherwise compacted adjacent tobut slightly spaced away from the inner end of the jet plug whereby to form at such point a permeable barrier6l and a gas chamber or space 62 between such barrier and the jet plug. g

In Fig. 21 at approximately such point there is mounted a permeable barrier 63 of felt or the like, the gas space or chamber between said barrier 63 and the jet plug being indicated at 64.

In Fig. 22 the lower end of the wick is knotted, bunched, or otherwise compacted within the'casing II, as indicated at 65 to form a permeable barrier sub-division the casing into a fuel space 66 and a gas chamber .or space 61.

In Fig. l23, the lower end of the wick terminates in or near a barrier 68 mounted within said casing II and subdivding the same into a fuel space 69 and a gas space or chamber 10. The barrier 68 is preferablykof permeable mate rial as felt or the like. A

In Figs. 24, 25, and 26 the wick .is supported within the wick tubeby a positioning element in the nature of a wire rod or the like 1I preferably of highly heat-conductive material.

In Fig. 24 the positioning member 1I is embedded within the wick material, the wick at theupper end of said member being exposed as a bunched orcompacted permeable barrier 12 disposed adjacent to but preferably spaced slightly away from the jet plug.

In Fig. 25, the upper end of the wick is so assembled with the member 1I that the upper end of the member 1I is exposed but the wick is bunched or compacted adjacent thereto as a permeable barrier 13.

In Fig. 26, the wick is so assembled with the member 1I that the act of drawing the same 4through the wick tube and into operating position causes the wick to be compacted in the wick tube as a permeable barrier 14.

In all three of these figures, viz. 24, 25, and 26 the member 1I is not necessarily but preferably a thin narrow flat strip of brass or like metal or composition.

In all forms, the action of the barrier, however made or whateverway arranged within the pressure-generating unit is to prevent mixing or entering of the raw, unvaporized or liquid fuel in with or into the same chamber with the volatilized gases, should the torch be shaken, tilted or inverted, and hence to prevent intentional or accidental extinguishment of the reducing flame thereby enabling and freely permitting the pressure generating unit to operate atits best efiiciency even when the torch is functioning in an upside-down position or in any inverted, tilted, or other desired position.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In an automatic blast torch, the combination with a complete pressure-generating unit having a wick, of means frictionally engaging the Wick at its upper end, and means frictionally engaging the wick at its lower end, said means coacting with each other for fixedly positioning or mounting the wick underv regulated `tension and capillarity within said pressure generating unit.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a portion of the wick is compacted to provide a barrier which is permeable to the vapors or gases volatilized when'the torch is operating but ls retardant to the free passage or leakageof the raw'or liquid fuel therethrough or therepast.

3. In an automatic blast torch, a pressure generating yu'nit comprising a casing adapted. to contain Vliquid fuel, a wick tube extendingfronisaid casing and having ajet delivery opening, and a wick in said tube and extending into the fuel within said casing, said wick having a compacted portion providing a permeable barrier disposed in contacting relation with a wall of the torch to thereby sub-divide the blast torch into a vapor or gas space and a fuel supply space, said bar# rier being permeable to the gases volatilized when the torch is operating but being retardant to the passage or free leakage of raw or liquid fuel therethrough or therepast. l

4. An automatic blast torch as Aclaimed in claim 3 wherein the Wick is folded once over upon itself to form such compacted permeable barrier and f wherein the wick is supported at said fold by a cross member disposed within the wick tube adja' cent to but below or back of the jet delivery open`l ing.

5." An automatic blast torch as claimed in claim 3 wherein the wick tube is deformed to compact the wick within that area of the wick which is included within said deformed part of the wick tube. l'

6g An automatic blast torch as claimed in claim 3 wherein the wick is positioned within the wick' tube by means of a positioning member vextendingrlongitudinally ofthe Wick and bent with 'the wick intertwined or interwound therewith to fric tionally engage and wedge against a wall of the torch thereby forming the compacted portion of the wick which constitutes the permeable barrier.

7. An automatic blast torch as claimed in claim 3 wherein the wick tube is interiorly threaded adjacent its outer end and wherein a cage-like member supports the upper end of the wick and is provided with an external series of screw threads adapted to engage the internal screw-threads at the wick tube and with an internal cross-bar over which the upper end of the wick is engaged.

8. In an automatic blast torch, a pressure generating unit comprising a casing adapted to contain liquid fuel, a wick tube extending from said casing and having a jet delivery opening, and a wick in said tube and extending into the fuel within said casing, said wick having a compacted portion providing a permeable barrier disv when the "torch is operating but being retardant to the passage orfree leakage of raw or liquid fuel therethrough or therepast, wick engaging means disposed within the upper end of the wick tube and adjustable longitudinally thereal'ong, and wick-engaging means disposed adjacent the lower end of the casing and effective with said rstenamed meansl to regulate the tension of the wick at will thereby changing at will the degree of capillary attraction of the wick and the degree of permeability of the permeable barrier means.

9. An automatic blast torch as claimed in claim 8 wherein the wick-engaging means at the lower end of the casing is a spring clasp and the wick is frictionally and adjustably engaged under the freey end of said springclasp.

10. An automatic blast torch as claimed in claim 8 wherein the wick-engaging meansat the lower end of the casing is a spring clasp and the wick is frictionally and adjustably engaged under the free end of said springV clasp, and wherein a locking catch is. provided for' releasably latching the free end of said spring clasp.

11. In an automatic blast torch, a pressure generating unit comprising a casing adapted to contain liquid fuel, a wick tube having a portion ex- SAMUEL C. BRODY. 

